


When the Masons came to dinner

by Pygmypuffonacid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Crack, Drama, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:22:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27454936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pygmypuffonacid/pseuds/Pygmypuffonacid
Summary: This is inspired by a Reddit prompt I found on the HPfanfiction sub... What would’ve happened if the Masons had done something when they came to dinner.We never got a lot of background about the Masons outside of Mr. Mason being a builder. So it made me wonder, What would’ve happened if the Mason’s  did something to help Harry Potter?If you want to find out feel free to take a look.
Relationships: Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter/Hermione Granger
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here is a link to the original prompt
> 
> Thanks to the Reddit user for coming up with the idea and allowing me to use it for inspiration for this story  
> https://www.reddit.com/r/HPfanfiction/comments/jpha4y/the_masons_dont_buy_vernons_explanation_for_even/

James Oliver Mason the third who is born on June 8 in 1928 , He was the son of one of the last true master stone masons is still practicing In Great Britain. His father was the mastermind in charge of rebuilding the destroyed wing a Buckingham palace after the bombing in 1943. His mother was a nurse in the women’s auxiliary forces she operated x-ray machines at the front, He’s older sister half a decade his senior volunteered in 1941 as a mechanic an ambulance driver, She was only 16 , Olivia his older sister could only join the war effort thanks to falsified documents Courtesy of their grandfather William Montgomery, The head of one of the largest black market operations in Northern Europe. He turned his hand from smuggling cigarettes and vodka across borders to smuggling people when Hitler Invaded Poland. James’ is Maternal grandfather, William started counterfeiting documents to get the Jews out of Germany, The moment Panzer tanks Crossed into Poland. Olivia had only been gone three weeks when James turned up on his grandfather’s doorstep his shoulders hunched with tension and an itch To do something like the rest of them Firmly agitated his person. At 14, James Mason was big for his age he was often mistaken as a student at King’s College rather than a schoolboy at Saint Gregory in London. His stature certainly worked to his advantage given his current actions. He went to his grandfather for papers just like his sister, He wanted his bitc of the action, When the London blitz started to happen his parents put him on a train for Manchester as part of the mass Evacuation. James had jumped from one of the carriages when the train had slowed , At one of the stations a few miles outside of Central London closer to Leeds than the heart of the city. With a scattering pocket money he had Saved since he was 11. He Purchased A return ticket to the closest station to his grandfather’s Counterfeit operation, The conductor of the train had given him a suspicious eye when he noticed the bruises and scratches James had lied easily enough, That his father had given him a good roughing up when he told him he wanted to join up, Instead of turning tail and working in ammunitions factory Like both his brothers. The lie left his lips quite easily, And made the conductor give him a sympathetic Pat on the shoulder and a free tin of biscuits From the dining carriage that James devoured without question. The conductor had even wished him good luck with his service when he disembarked near Lestersquare. And made his way back towards his grandfathers.

William Montgomery Was is a large man Both in size in personality one of which James had inherited. But where James was quiet, Studious and observant unobtrusive even if not for his stature. His grandfather was magnanimous a real people person, The very embodiment of a cockney ConMan. Who had cut his teeth during the reign Of queen Victoria in a pickpocketing ring That had terrorized the first of the bow street runners, Before moving up in the world as he aged, Becoming first A prize fighter, One of the finest bareknuckle boxers in London, And then an early investor in One of the most notorious gaming hells To ever grace the east end. The operation had set his family up quite nicely, He had been able to purchase his eldest son James’ father A prestigious apprenticeship with a mason who was a master builder when the boy showed Little aptitude for schoolwork but a natural instinct for creation, His other child a girl named Lucille, Had wanted something different so her father ever indulgent William had paid for his daughter’s Higher education she was one of the first women to graduate from Oxford with a degree in medicine. Some thing that the Montgomery’s boasted about endlessly To anyone who would listen. As he grew older William Montgomery shifted to the background giving most of his criminal operation to the management of his cousins child Alexander someone who scared the living hell out of most people but James found rather amusing as Alexander was blind in one eye and walked perpetually with a scowl, But always had a sarcastic quip, And a rye smile For his second cousin James whenever he visited.

But James wasn’t here for a cuppa and visit with Alex this time round. He barged in the door with determination hunker down, Marched past the various cards and watchmen that his grandfather kept Around Before entering the office interrupting his grandfather from his meticulous forgery process. The following conversation had been innocuous enough if awkward until James had managed to speak, He demanded not requested documents from his grandfather, With his argument that he was man enough to hold Alexander down while they amputated his leg below the knee after stray bullet struck him, If Olivia was old enough to go to war and so was he. William Montgomery head cuffed him for his Impertinence and then continued with the conversation after the bow left James reeling But still determined having managed to stay on his feet. Old William Montgomery had smiled at his grandson the youngest of his sons Progeny, The boy had a rigid back a strong brow and the stubbornness of any Montgomery though his last name was Mason, A change William found irritating but it was tradition for the head of the guild to take the name of his craft Instead of keeping the name of his family, So the grandson of William Montgomery was James Oliver Mason instead of Montgomery no matter how much William had Objected to his sons decision, To change the family legacy.It was necessary for the profession.

James had insisted and William had acquiesced after quite a bit of negotiation. James wouldn’t be joining the fighting on the ground no matter how much he wished , His grandfather would only give him the documents if he agreed to the RAF, Or the home guard at least. James had balked at the thought Of staying on home ground if his sister was on the front lines in France transporting the wounded, He needed to be in the conflict at least. To feel like he was doing something, So after hours they finally agreed James Would enlist The following week with the Royal Air Force and William would give him the documents he needed claiming that he was 17 just a few weeks from his majority along with a falsified signature from his parents to allow his enlistment.

William Montgomery even agreed to help his grandson with the most Harrowing bit of his Deception this part not perpetrated on King and country, But on his own parents who thought he was safely tucked away in Manchester. James spent the rest of the week writing hundreds of letters, To be kept by his grandfather and dated as needed to perpetuate the deception. That he was safe in Manchester while William Montgomery crafted one of the best examples of his forgery skills the world had ever seen. James Oliver Mason aged 3 1/2 years in a week.

His grandfather took him to the recruiting station just outside the train station at the end of the week the false documents and security clearance safely tucked away in a binder with a passport that claimed William Montgomery was actually James his father. James signed up with a tremor in his hand and stubbornness in the set of his shoulders, His grandfather signed the parental consent form with a flourish and hugged his grandson as he boarded the train for training a few hours later. In the company of young men barely old enough to buy liquor let alone die for their country. As the steam locomotive left the station ,Montgomery Silently prayed to wherever deity would listen That his grandson would come back safely. The boy was better an airman Then whatever act of desperation he would resort to if denied his current ambition.

The war raged for years rationing Becoming ever more a part of the lives of those living in Britain, Every week William Montgomery would forge postage labeled with the Manchester stamp and send it To his son and his family. James his letters spoke of vague generalities like the weather and a particularly interesting young girl named Mary, Who sang in the church choir. Such intricacies had made William smile, The boy was certainly in Montgomery no matter what his birth certificate said, The document didn’t change a bloodline not that quickly. 

James Oliver Mason On the cusp of his 15th birthday, Though his commanding officer believed it was his 18th, Stood information as his wings were pinned on the lapel of his new uniform. He had been trained for six weeks to fly the Spitfire a wood steel construction, That was the great hope for the air defense of great Britain. He joined the 38th Squadron, The silver banshees Two days later. He was in combat over occupied France, Defending the bombers as they struck the German gunners. He got his first kill that day, He became an ace a week later and was finally welcome into the pub of the airmen, Called the Orion at least his RAF base. He would stay there for the next few years fending off reads from the Nazis, He would meet a pretty Irish girl a nurse at the local surgery Who specialized in fungal infections. Her name was Mary James couldn’t help but smile at the irony she even sing in the church choir on Sunday a fact when he related to his grandfather had the man chuckling for nearly an hour. James lost half his unit and one particularly vicious run during the last push for blitzkrieg on the half of the Germans they were pulled them over the channel a few miles off the coast of Britain just days before the Americans came to the Island. His best friend Walter died in a blaze above the sea when one of the Luftwaffe, Manage to fire into his engine. James got the bastard but it didn’t change the circumstances. Two weeks later he became a flight commander the most decorated ace in his squadron. Mary had to pull the bottle from his hands the night he came home without Walter as his wing man, She had let him sob into her shoulder with nothing but silence and empathy she got him through it and onto the next part of his operation,When he took command training the green flyers and a polish squadron who were the most vicious airman he had ever had the pleasure of flying with all before the Americans came into the Amphitheater, And truly helped crush the German offensive. James started raiding The German Homeland along with the Americans flying in any farming operation and raid He could manage in between short naps in the hanger. He managed to record 30 runs before he was shot down, 100 miles behind the lines in the Rhineland. A German patrol picked him up and backhanded him a few times roughing him up. He was fairly certain one of the officers had given him a concussion with that strike from his rifle butt. They put him in irons and marched him with other soldiers towards the holding pen before the bombs went off, The B-52 had been flying over and dropped it payload about a mile off. The fire and chaos the explosive creative was enough of a momentary distraction for the captives to make a break for it, One of the boys an American airman Was shot but James and five others managed to make it into the basement of a cottage long abandoned or so they thought. They stayed there for hours until an old woman found them and actually laughed at them. In her words though James barely remember the exact sentence structure his French even then was atrocious, Only a British Spitfire flyer Could get captured by the Germans and somehow stumble across the French resistance, Somehow through a convoluted series of passages carriages and dressing as an old woman they managed to smuggle all six of his party from the Rhineland into Switzerland to the British Embassy where they stayed for nearly a month recovering from the arduous journey by that time the Americans had taken Italy and most of Sicily. Though there were rumors lucky Luciano, Some Italian gangster on the American continent has been responsible for that particular military maneuver, James couldn’t blame any of them for taking any advantage they could Against the Nazi scourge. He was flown back to Britain a few weeks later a doctor tried to order him to desk duty but he was back in a Spitfire, By the next Sunday he was back on British soil. He flew missions well into the night day after day until the orders came to Hault, The celebration on V day Was something he would never forget the parties the whiskey the relief and the grief that Walter and Percy would never see that’s a victory, But somehow through it all Samuel Michael and he had survived it the only three original members of their squadron, And Mary his darling Mary who had gotten him through it and nursed so many injured finally agreed to marry him. He proposed on victory day morning right after the announcement and they said their vows before a slightly drunk Irish priest before dinner time that evening. It had been years and is carefully crafted letters written when he was 14 had dried up right before he had been shut down his mother received a telegram informing him that he was missing in action the first missive his family received from him was the notification of his marriage much to his chagrin he had forgotten to write them when he climbed back into the Cockpit. His mother’s response to the Union, “ But you’re only 17 darling!”

His father had been more understanding as grandfather William had finally broken down when James went missing and told his father everything. Nigel Mason the master builder and Mason responsible for the reconstruction of Buckingham palace had told his wife, “ He’s a man now Margaret he knows how to make his own decisions we’re just going to have to accept them.”

Much to James relief, His family accepted the union with little argument. When the war ended he and Mary but a house in Surrey I lovely six bedroom home That had belonged to some count that had perished during the air raids, Unfortunately but they had rebuilt the house and made it their home they were blessed with three children in the years following all who aged and went to university started families of their own and visited every Easter and Christmas. James and Mary Mason were truly happy, Upon his father’s retirement James took over the family business as a Master Mason and builder in central London and Surrey. His grandfather William Montgomery the name sake of his first born son,little Billy Passed away in 1963 the stubborn old man Lived Well into his golden years the old rapscallion still running a criminal operation that none of the local Bobbies Had the heart to bust stop, As everyone in that part of London remembered old William Montgomery handing off a bag of apples were a loaf of bread to top up the rations or a bar of chocolate smuggled off the Americans to make sure no children went hungry, Not in William Montgomery part of London. The old man died a local legend his obelisk at Saint Sebastian’s still decorate with flowers every Sunday even a decade after his passing he was much loved by the local community and those surviving of his grandchildren, Alexander James’s cousin met a nice girl named Lucy and moved to America started up a ladder manufacturing business and made quite a killing much to the happiness of his entire family. 

James Mason received a contract to build a series of cinemas across the London from a new company based in Argentina there were 20 in total from the East End to Mayfair that required new building codes and plenty of drillbits. So in the late 80s James and Mary Mason went to a dinner party hosted by one of the possible drill manufacturing salesman, a Mr. Vernon Dursley. The evening had not gone well outside Of Mrs. Dursley being rather rude and judgy When James mentioned his service and Mary her nursing. Even if it had been for the good of the country there boy was rather quiet and a tad hefty if you asked James a child should never be fed so much they are practically bursting at the seams activity should be encouraged it helped with Neuromuscular development, If you asked Mary. His wife had flood the house in tears terrified out of her mind at the site of a large white snow owl belonging to the Dursley’s nephew his wife was terrified of birds after a particularly vicious condor chased her down as a child attempting to steal her pet ocelot. But the worst part of the evening has been the sound a striking sound of bone breaking that James remembered all too well from his days on the battlefield defending his country, The sound of a man striking a child that he had watched more than one Nazi Perpetrate such a sin, But tonight as he comforted his wife though the window He watched the massive man Vernon Dursley strike his nephew the boys head ricocheting off the table. James hadn’t known what to do but he knew he had to act so like so much of his life his stubbornness setting it He got Mary calmed down, Whispered to her about the circumstances he had just witnessed. And then he put his wife in the car and went back to the house under the pretense of retrieving their coats, Instead he broke Vernon Dursleys nose, and Told The still bleeding black haired teenager to get his coat, The boy had looked at him for a moment before saying he didn’t have one and James barked at Vernon’s wife to get the boys things together. Instead of coming back with a bag and a coat the woman turned up with a birdcage and the teenager rushed upstairs to get the rest of it she unlocked the cupboard under the stairs and pulled out a trunk and shoved it towards the door with a stubborn air her own son quietly looking at his father while whining while Vernon Dursley was out cold at the base of the stairs. Though he had grownd a few times , James knew he was alive and waiting for his departure he said quite calmly in the man’s direction the drillbit contract would be signed at a third of the price reduction, On the condition young Mr. Potter would be staying the rest of his summer with the Masons. The matter was settled with little argument while the boy collected his personal effects James signed the contract in Vernon Dursly And his wife signed over temporary guardianship.

It was all done rather neatly if not for the screaming small strange creature that came Darding out of the kitchen attempting to batter James with the lamp until he struck it quite Squirrley with the umbrella standDirectly next to him. 

The little creature whatever it was started screaming and the black haired teenager called Dobbinbefore it departed as if it had never been there. James had seen enough strange things during the war to not bother asking just picking up the boys trunk and telling him to follow him towards the car. Mary his lovely wife had calm down but squeaked a little when she saw the white owl in a cage coming toward her as James worked towards the car, Loading the young Potter boys personal effects into the trunk and bundling the child into the car with the bird in hand though he did tell him to cover the cage while he was in the vehicle a coat was tossed over the owl enclosure and Mary calmed down.

They drove home only a few streets over in silence before unloading the car and repeating the entire process bustling hairy into the house along with the owl the trunk and everything including the boy was deposited in the guest room and the teenager instructed to get some rest after being asked and affirming that he had already eaten Mary still left him a bottle of water and a thing of biscuits in case he got peckish.

With that James and Mary went down to the study and had a rather serious conversation. The possibility of calling child protective services was mentioned more than once before they settled on a different arrangement keeping him there at least for the rest of the summer as who knew where young Mr. Potter would end up Vernon in Petunia were respect and members of the community, Though they didn’t have the cloud that the Masons Held they could still influence a few of the locals, And the rumors about young harry Potter and his reputation as a hooligan wouldn’t help his cause on any account, So if they would keep him here for the time being most likely perhaps take him to The Cotswolds when they visited his daughter and their grand children for the summer to make things a bit last awkward.

The boy had fallen asleep rather quickly when they checked on him after the huddle so they decided to save anything more dramatic for morning they went to bed exchanging a kiss before crawling under the sheets James lost in thought as to what had come over him and Mary planning an elaborate breakfast the next morning. Before the couple faded into sleep.

They went to a dinner party and came home with a teenager and a rather large mystery for the strange creature that attacked them on the stairs screaming about wizards a few questions that could wait for morning.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning after the catastrophe that was The incident that was supposed to be a business dinner at the Dursleys, Was anything but normal. The tiny screaming creature was back it had launched a set of steak knives at his darling Mary when she had wandered out of the bedroom to make tea first thing in the morning. His wife ever vigilant and resourceful the brilliant woman that she was managed to thrash the thing with The copper tea kettle she had inherited from her grade and back in 1957, Newer models were available and James had offered more than once to replace the old cattle with something more modern but Mary had always refused saying the copper Kettle brude the perfect cup of tea And she Saw no reason To replace something that worked perfectly plus it was a family heirloom something that involved a vague inclination of sentimentality some thing her husband understood as he carried his grandfather’s pocket watch that had a secret compartment in the back perfect for smuggling a small amount of tobacco through customs without too much trouble. So James Mason woke up about 20 minutes later having slept through the crash Rumpelled In the flannel pajamas Mary insisted he wear in the summer if there was going to be a draft. To find his darling wife Interrogating something that Appeared to be trapped inside the blender she was holding Her finger on the button reading purée. The line of salt circling the appliance and nearly the entire container of kosher salt with the little woman holding an umbrella on it poured over the top of the strange creature covering it.

It had ears like a bat And wore some kind Of ragged stained pillowcase as a body covering James half unsure as to whether or not he was hallucinating or if his wife was really conducting an interrogation before he had his morning coffee he just blinked and shuffled toWard The steaming cup in his favorite mug his wife had somehow managed to brew while capturing a strange little creature this early in the morning. As James drank his coffee he looked at his wife inquisitively, Mary simply shrugged before going back to her interrogation and asking once again what the creature was named, James detected something through the mumbling and provided a helpful answer from what he could understand, “ I think He said his name was Bobby ,Darling. And thank you for the coffee sugarplum, It’s excellent as always.”

A Shriek of protest Came from the creature half submerged in salt inside the industrial sized blender, As Mary smiled at himAnd requested he start making the morning fry up as she was a little busy. James a man of modern ideals Happily Helped prepare the morning meal, A good old English fry up as it was a Saturday and they had a teenage boy sleeping in the guestroom the child would most likely be ravenous when he woke up .The little creature as he managed to get the The bacon into the frying pan which had a strange smudge mark on the outside of it one that he didn’t question but made the creature whimper again when he looked at his wife inquisitively after he Noticed it. As Mary continued to ask what the little creature was doing there, And the bacon begin to sizzle, They heard another grumbled response, “ Dobby is a house elf, dobby must save Harry Potter, Dobby Must not let Harry Potter go back to school. Danger danger for Harry Potter.” As Mary inquired as to what kind of danger the little creature strict again to not turn on the Wirly Mcgig, lady, ... As the small creature, Who is now obviously named Dobby not Bobby put it, “ Dobby didn’t mean harm to the Muggles, who is friends with the great Harry Potter. Dobby is is bad elf, Dobby will punish himself. But not the wirly machine again please mrs. , Dobby is only helping.” 

With that Mary seemed to feel a moment of sympathy as her finger all the way from the button my Nutly enough to where the little creature thrashed violently against the side of the blender and her hand on the top of it slipped prompting the glass containment Module That held the little elf Kreature along with a metric ton of salt to tip over.as the glass shattered With the force of the elf thrashing Mary Jumped back and James made a grab for the elf as it made a mad dash for freedom he missed unfortunately for both he and Mary gave Chase to the little creature as it should free up as much salt as it could and bolted into the kitchen as they started to gain ground on it the little creature manage to dislodge the last wad of salt from its ear , And the little strange creature disappeared with a pop just as Harry appeared at the top of the stairs watching the incident With confusion His eyes still somewhat blurry from sleep and his hair indistinguishable from his normally messy locks or The typical bad head of most teenagers having woken up before noon on a Saturday.

As the Masons turned to look at their house guest after the strange creature disappeared Harry walked down the rest of the stairs, Silence stretching between the three of them. Before Mary spoke up As she smiled at Harry and started walking towards the kitchen Retrieving The broom from its place in the corner, “ Well now that the mornings entertainment has wandered off let’s get this cleaned up. James darling I think this is a good morning to order in, Take away from that Breakfast On Bennett. Harry my dear do you like Sausage rolls and pastries for breakfast ?”

As Harry nodded yes uncertainly James Mason Smiled at the young man before picking up the receiver for the phone and gesturing for the teenager to grab the vacuum cleaner from the cupboard under the stairs to help Mrs. Mason with the glass. As the mess was cleaned up relatively quickly and Mr. Mason placed the order with a lovely girl named Janet working the breakfast rush for a delivery of pastries and sausage rolls from the local delicatessen along with three to go cups of hazelnut coffee, The mason patriarch couldn’t help but think that at the very least life was getting a bit more interesting.

Especially when he overheard his wife’s new line of inquiry with the young Mr. Potter, Something about his schooling that made the young teenager steamer for a moment and James smile, As Mary started doing her normal method of interrogation with kindness and a smile she could get battle plans out of even the most stoic German With those methods he knew from experience. Mr. Potter didn’t stand a chance though when’s the word magic entered the conversation it did raise an eyebrow from both the Masons, Before the teenager scratch the back of his neck and quietly waved his hand, Which now contained a stick of all things whispering the word Repario , Both adults nearly jumped out of their skin as the blender ones in pieces stood whole again back on its stand. Hairy as if waiting judgment said nothing before James whistled and said, “ Well isn’t that a useful little trick,”

Making Mary laugh, Look at Harry reassuringly Before saying in a tone universally understood By anyone who encounters it as a mother’s instinct and tone to reassure anyone they see, “ Thank you , Harry However you just did that I quite liked that blender replacing it would’ve been Quite annoying. “ 

Before Harry could answer the doorbell rang, And James declared “breakfast “, Before grabbing his wallet from the bowl in the entryway and answering it.

The Masons and harry potter ate their breakfast pastries In relative silence for a few moments before James broached the subject again, “ So Harry , Why don’t you tell us what you can About this situation and why there’s something called a house elf Trying to bludgeon you today, All Mary Got out of the creature this morning was something about your schooling being hazardous to your health, Would you care to elaborate on that?”

Harry potter chewed his sausage roll contemplatively for a moment before swallowing and saying, “ I’m going to be perfectly honest with you Mr. Mason, I haven’t bloody foggiest. “

With that he took another bite and Mary Mason laughed, And James smiled slightly the boy had a sense of humor at least given his circumstances it was just one more thing to cement their previous nights decision, They were certainly keeping him.


End file.
